What is Prairie Moves?
Published Tuesdays and Fridays, Prairie Moves keeps our readers informed about career moves, media coverage, product development and more from the companies and individuals we cover on Silicon Prairie News.
If you or your company would like to submit one of the items below for our next Prairie Moves post, please email editor@siliconprairienews.com. And if you have suggestions on how we could improve these posts or any of our coverage, please contact danny@siliconprairienews.com.
Mergers & Acquisitions
- Internet Solver (Des Moines), a provider of internet and telephone service and support, acquired the web service portion of Freese-Notis (Des Moines), one of city’s first internet providers – Internet Solver and Des Moines Register
Fundings
- Xuba (Omaha), the social commerce company behind social beauty store Bloom.com, closed a $5.4 million Series A round led by Capricorn Investment Group (an investment firm with strong Omaha ties) – SPN, Press Release and FashInvest
- Capricorn Investment Group (an investment firm with strong Omaha ties) participated in Yammer’s (San Francisco) finance raise of $85 million – SPN and Techmeme
- Business Insider unnamed sources say that Ashton Kutcher was a part of Dwolla’s $5 million Series B round in February – Business Insider and SPN
New Creative
- Oxide Design (Omaha) launched Silicon Prairie News’ Big Omaha 2012 teaser website – bigomaha.com, SPN and Nebrasaka Creative
- Archrival (Lincoln, Neb.) redesigned Red Bull’s Facebook page and launched a game to align with the new timeline format – facebook.com/redbull, Archrival on Facebook, Archrival blog and Nebraska Creative-
- GoodTwin Design (Omaha) launched branding and a website for Ova Ova – ovaova.com and Nebraska Creative
Product/Business Development & Milestones
- LockPath (Kansas City) to integrate with McAfee’s risk and compliance products – Press Release and Kansas City Business Journal
- PaySafe (Omaha) moved into an office at 50th & Dodge Street in Omaha – PaySafe on Facebook
- Hudl (Lincoln, Neb.) released its app in the Amazon App Storee – Hudl blog
- PeggyBank (Omaha) celebrated its one-year anniversary – PeggyBank on Facebook
- Dwolla (Des Moines) rolled out an upgrade to allow users to correct an accidental transfer – Dwolla blog
Mentions
- Social Money Systems (Des Moines) – Solitude Canyon Investment Advisors: “5 Questions for SmartyPig“
- Digital Evolution Group (Kansas City) – Kansas City Business Journal: “Digital Evolution’s evolution doesn’t shed its digital identity“
- Jordan Lampe of Dwolla (Des Moines) – Juice magazine: “A drink with … Jordan Lampe, 25, of Dwolla“
- Ben Milne of Dwolla (Des Moines) – StartupCity Des Moines: “Ben Milne of Dwolla talks user growth“
- Startup Weekend Des Moines – Iowa State Daily: “Startup Weekend pairs up aspiring entrepenuers“, Northern Iowan: “Startup weekend in Des Moines to give young entrepreneurs a platform” and Des Moines Register: “Startup Weekend: Concept to product in 54 hours“
- Iowa Creativity Summit (Des Moines) – “Creativity summit to advocate design thinking” and “A brief recap of Iowa’s first creativity summit“
- The Reader: “The Young and the Talented: Omaha’s Design Innovators“
Gig Bits
Gig Bits is an occasional feature keeping our readers up to speed on Google Fiber. Read Gig Bits.
Thanks to our sponsor
- KCNext: “What do you think Google Fiber means for Kansas City?” (Video)
- The Pitch: “The BBC doesn’t know what Google Fiber means for this ‘cow town’ “
- CNET: “Schmidt: Don’t let censorship hold back the Net’s benefits“
- Kansas City Business Journal: “Google exec uses Kansas City, Kan., in punch line” and “Google: Nobody’s laughing at KCK“
- Kansas City Star: “Google still promising Kansas City a gig; Schmidt’s comments confuse“
- Computer World: “Kansas City businesses dream big with Google Fiber, despite uncertain availability“
- Kansas City Star: “Google patent hints at way to avoid curb-to-home digging for KC ultra-fast Internet“
- CNET: “Google patent application reveals broadband dreams“
- Kansas City Star: “AT&T will let Google hang fiber optics on Kansas City utility poles“
- Kansas City Business Journal: “Google, AT&T sign deal for access to utility poles in Missouri, Kansas“
Blogged
- Business Innovation Zone (Des Moines): “5 years down. It has been a great ride!“
- Thinkc Big Partners (Kansas City): “004 Think Big Radio: Live From The Gigabit Challenge“
- Grain & Mortar (Omaha): “The Honest Truth“
- Recbob (Cedar Rapids, Iowa): “Let’s Talk RecBob” (Video)
- Ben Milne of Dwolla (Des Moines): “It’s not the community’s responsibility to find investors for you“
- Mike Draper of Raygun (Des Moines): “Local talent is key to moving forward“
- Shoplr (Ames, Iowa): “Shoplr: Our Why, How, and Where“
- Robert Murphy (Omaha): “Dear Silicon Prairie/Big Omaha Community“
- Pipeline (Kansas City): Photos of first module on Facebook
- Don’t Panic Labs (Lincoln, Neb.): “The Voodoo We Do“
- Leap2 (Kansas City): “Mobile Users on Leap Day Asked to Try ‘Leaping’ to the Web vs. ‘Searching’ the Web with the Leap2 App“
Misc.
- StartupIowa launched Iowa Startupedia – startupedia.startupia.org and StartupIowa blog
- The Des Moines foursquare badge arrived – SPN
- Think Big Partners (Kansas City) invited Midwest entrepreneurs on Flyover Field Trip to Silicon Valley Bank Showcase and Think Big Showcase – Press Release and Think Big Partners blog
- Think Big Partners (Kansas City) held its first Pitch Camp – Think Big Partners blog
- Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce’s Big 5 now has a website – big5kc.com
- Red Nova Labs (Kansas City) will take Venture Friday off-site and mix up the format in 2012 – Press Release
- Wade Foster of Zapier.com (Columbia, Mo.) and Jim Spencer of Newsy (Columbia, Mo.) were announced as speakers of the upcoming TEDx event at the University of Missouri – Columbia Daily Tribune
Credits: Photo by Carol Von Canon via Flickr